Vegetarians don't lead an easy life. Until a short time ago mocked by
meat eaters, here again trouble, this time from the other side: Criticism
from vegans, who not only refuse meat, but also dairy products, eggs and
leather for moral reasons. To that, at once, two theses at the beginning,
to illustrate the problems and the explosive effect of the question "Vegetarian
or Vegan?":

Criticism of vegans towards vegetarians in terms of ethics and facts
is completely right.

Criticism of vegans towards vegetarians in terms of policy and strategy
is completely wrong.

As always, when it comes down to emotionally charged and objectively
many-sided discussions, here, too, it is recommendable to look at the
facts first in a dispassionate way:

Every commercial "use" of animals, and also those in dairy, egg and
leather industry, stands for "exploitation" - since competition, economic
thinking and aiming at profit automatically lead to the exploition of
animals. In addition to this dairy, egg and leather industry are so firmly
multi-sided and undetachably connected to meat-industry, that every consumption,
or every usage of dairy products, eggs and leather stimulates meat-industry
at the same time.

Three illustrating examples: calves of milk cows, find themselves immediately
at the butcher's, supposing they are not female and will be conveyed to
the painful milk production. The little ones of hen, if male and not gassed,
drowned or thrown in a meat mincer, end up as chicken. The sale of leather
raises the profit margin of meat producers.

On the other hand, it is completely out of place to lump vegetarians
and meat eaters together, as it is not seldom practiced, so as to say:
"Who eats cheese can likewise eat meat!" Obviously, carnivores cause more
damage: because they do not only, like vegetarians, directly exploit animals
as milk and cheese suppliers and thus indirectly support meat industry,
but furthermore promote meat industry directly. The meat eater, who is
usually also milk, egg and leather consumer, to cut a long story short,
has caused many more dead animals than a vegetarian.

Another fact to take into account when discussing the question "Vegetarian
or Vegan?" is this one: becoming a vegan is not a thing to do in one step.
On the contrary it is common to be vegetarian before turning from meateater
to vegan. Just because of this, it would be foolish to damn vegetarianism,
actually the first stage to veganism.

In addition to this: for vegetarianism, one may and should advertise
frankly and in public. Here, "persuasive work" makes sense and is necessary,
because ethical and practical reasons for abstention from meat can not
only rationally be made plausible, but also in view of life-style; to
replace sausage rolls with cheese rolls and meat sauce with herb sauce
- this is easy to be imagined. But to abstain from "everything" in one
step, asks too much imagination (not the least because of insufficient
information) and provokes fear, anger - and above all - escape: "Well,
then I'll just do like I've done up to now, I'll eat anything I desire!"

To vegetarianism you can guide people, to veganism they have to get
themselves. The step to veganism takes place silently, in private. Nevertheless,
in general only under one condition: if people are motivated to dispense
with the exploitation of animals due to ethical reasons. The sensitiveness
for this you get nearly always from an ethically-founded vegetarianism.
That's why it is so important to guide people to the ethical vegetarianism.
Everything else that further happens, if it does, happens by itself.

Condemnation of vegetarians does not make vegans, but prevents vegetarians.
Condemnation of vegetarianism is of no use, but immense damage. Important
is, as said before, a moral motivation.

That's why those who have the honest intention to abstain from meat,
those, who have already arrived at the vegan end, and all the "in-betweens"
have to pull together - instead of marking out each other and thus harm
the animals.

If the conflict between vegetarians and vegans were not a reality, it
would probably be invented by advertising men of the meat industry - and
would be a brilliant idea. There's no bigger pleasure for carnivores than
non-carnivores arguing among themselves!